M4.7 Earthquake 262 km WNW of Longyearbyen, Svalbard and Jan Mayen — October 17, 2021
2021-10-17 20:37:02 UTC (2021-10-17) · approx. 8:37 PM UTC+0 local
On October 17, 2021 at 20:37 UTC, a magnitude 4.7 shallow crustal earthquake struck 262 km WNW of Longyearbyen, Svalbard and Jan Mayen, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates 79.4547°, 5.2608°.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.7 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 169 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 1.1 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
Earthquake Details
5.2608°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.7 earthquake near Longyearbyen, Svalbard and Jan Mayen?
The magnitude 4.7 earthquake that struck 262 km WNW of Longyearbyen, Svalbard and Jan Mayen on October 17, 2021 at 20:37 UTC had a depth of 10.0 km. For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 79.4547°, 5.2608°, which is 262 km WNW of Longyearbyen, Svalbard and Jan Mayen.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.7 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.
Actions
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000fvhw). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2021, October 17, 2021). M4.7 Earthquake 262 km WNW of Longyearbyen, Svalbard and Jan Mayen — October 17, 2021. Retrieved December 25, 2021 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000fvhw/